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Gladstone 9-10 Girls Top Tecumseh In Extra Inning
 WYOMING, Mich.---In what could be a preview of this Wednesday's state championship game, the Gladstone Minor Girls (age 9-10) beat Tecumseh, 1-0, in seven innings as the state tournament continued Sunday night at Pinery Park. Morgan Letteriello scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning to tally the only run of the game. Both teams used their top pitcher for just two innings in this game because both were already guaranteed places in Monday's state quarterfinal rounds.  "It was a whale of a game," Gladstone Manager Rodney Schwartz said. "The kids played excellent defense again. The catcher was running out, the pitchers were good. Everybody was paying attention. I couldn't ask for any more out of my kids." This game featured perhaps the two best teams in this 16-team team event, with both in the same pool. Brittany Schwartz struck out five in two innings of hitless ball for Gladstone, and Tecumseh's Jaiden Batyik did the same, albeit with four K's. Batyik got the game's first hit in the third inning, but was stranded there as reliever Allie Balenger got the strikeout. Gladstone threatened in the fourth inning when Tecumseh reliever Monica Meger walked Maddie Algren, Brittany Schwartz, and Morgan Letteriello. Meger got Christina Olsen to ground out to end the scoring threat and keep it 0-0.  Olson followed with Gladstone's first (and only) base hit to left, and then Taelor Zeise put down a bunt that the Tecumseh girls held onto, loading the bases. The next two Gladstone girls struck out, but Meger threw a wild pitch and Letteriello slid in safely at home plate with the go-ahead run. Letteriello's cleats got Meger in the leg, giving her a huge welt and forcing her to leave the game in pain. "Passed balls here at the park, there's probably 15, 18 feet from home plate to the fence," Coach Schwartz said. "It's really tight. I just told her 'it's your choice, but if you get a passed ball, you should be going. And sure enough, she saw the passed ball and slid."  
Gladstone's winning run.
Gladstone faces Rogers City in the state quarterfinals Monday at 4:00. Click the thumbnails in the "ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS" button to see more photos, a video of the winning run, and audio highlights and interviews.  |
